


Taking Over the Night

by Anonymous



Series: acotar, but to the left [2]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Gen, but then I did, i wasn't going to write more, look - Freeform, rereading this scene wasn't fun though, this goes out to that one commenter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28825431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: if the night of the Calanmai had gone a little differently
Relationships: Feyre Archeron & Lucien Vanserra, Tamlin/Lucien Vanserra (implied)
Series: acotar, but to the left [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113503
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10
Collections: Anonymous





	Taking Over the Night

**Author's Note:**

> anon commenter 'Someone' this one goes out to you my dude  
> i was planning on this to go in a slightly different direction but i'm okay with how it turned out

_“Feyre!_ What the _hell_ are you doing here?” What I could see of Lucien’s face was unnaturally pale, especially in the warm firelight. 

“I was curious—”

“Idiot,” Lucien seethed, mismatched eyes glancing furtively at the other fae milling around. “By the Cauldron, you are the most bull-headed idiot I’ve ever met, and I’ve known Tamlin for much longer.” He picked me up by the waist and slung me over a shoulder, his curly, deep red hair tickling my nose. “I’m taking you back to the house, all right?”

“Do I have a choice?” I grumbled, watching as stares started turning towards us. I shuddered, all too reminded of the three from earlier. “... you know what? That’s fine.”

“Glad you’re listening to reason for once,” Lucien huffed, adjusting his grip before bolting. Balefully, I remembered my horse that had been left behind as the drums faded from the distance. Not long after he started running, I shut my eyes as a wave of nausea crashed over me; he was running faster than any horse, any being known to me. Eventually, the air became cooler, and he slowed down before picking me off his shoulder and setting me down in the hallway of the manor.

“What are we going to do with you?” Lucien groaned, tangling a hand in his hair after letting go. “Couldn’t you have curbed your curiosity for _one night_?” His normally warm brown skin was still drained of blood, eyes closing behind the fox mask with a sigh as he dropped his hand. The drumming in the distance was becoming louder, like peals of thunder mixed with the crashing of rain. “I thought we told you to stay in your room.”

I glanced away, feeling a flush begin to creep across my face. “Well if you would just _explain_ instead of leaving me in the dark the whole damn time, maybe this wouldn’t have happened!” I turned to meet his gaze again, then noticing the sweat clinging to him and the way his eyes, once open again, looked like a startled deer’s.

Lucien grumbled curses and rolled his eyes to the ceiling, tensing his jaw and then sighing. “Look. Dumbass. Little shit. Bane of my continued existence. That wasn’t even the ceremony itself.” He looked back down to meet my eyes, furrowing his brow. “The little stunt you pulled just now was incredibly dangerous. If Tam had found you…” he trailed off, grimacing. 

I was very tempted to walk up to him and start shaking him until he spat out the answers.

“He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself,” Lucien tacked on quickly, backing away slightly as if he could sense my intentions. “Tonight’s the _Calanmai_. Marks the beginning of spring. Our crops here depend on it.” His voice wavered slightly, a foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

“And what, pray tell, is a _Calanmai_?” I asked dryly. It was rather amusing, seeing Lucien fidget like he was, but something told me his comment about Tamlin wasn’t to be taken lightly.

Lucien shuddered, and he spit out his next words in a rush. “Tam, he,” a pause, as if he was searching for the right phrase. “He allows ancient magic to take over his body. It consumes him, makes him no more than a wild beast known as the Hunter. That magic then seeks out a m- a mate.” I didn’t miss the way his voice caught on the last word, and I mentally raised an eyebrow. “Known as the Maiden. Through their coupling, magic is released back into the earth. There. Happy?”

I ignored the hot flush that burned across my face once more as I leaned against the wall, casually stuffing my hands into my pockets. “So? Who’s this ‘Maiden’ you speak of?”

“No one knows until she’s picked.” Lucien rolled his eyes slightly, though it didn’t seem to be at me. “Tam, or, rather, the beast he becomes, will go out and kill a white stag for the sacrificial offering. Then the magic chooses from a line of candidates standing all prettily around a path leading up to the sacred cave.” His voice took on a small bitter note. 

“You imply the Maiden is a female fae. So why were you and the other male fae there?” I asked dryly, trying to push aside the thought of the three from earlier. They had thought me complacent in their plans just by _being there_ —

“Tam’s not the only one allowed to have some fun,” Lucien winked, though his voice didn’t match. Was he hiding something? I jumped as he took a step forward and grabbed me by the shoulders, searching for something in my eyes. “I’m serious when I say this, Feyre. Stay in your room tonight. Don’t come out until morning. Keep your door locked. Understand?”

Taken aback slightly, I only nodded. Lucien stepped back with a relieved huff, shaking his head. “I’m going back. I need to be there to make sure he doesn’t get confused and try to find you instead.” He headed towards the door, opening it, then pausing to look back at me with his golden eye. “Listen to me this once. Don’t open your door.” And then he was gone.

* * *

I woke up when my head slipped off its precarious perch on my hand, barely catching myself before I slammed it into the vanity. Blearily, I wondered what had woken me up until I heard the silence. The drums from before were gone, and, not long after, a wave of magic rippled out, strong enough that I could feel it clinging to my skin like a blanket. I blushed at the thought of where it came from, but shook it off.

The clock read past two in the morning. Then my stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t exactly eaten anything. It would be difficult to fall asleep with it gnawing at me. But Lucien had said to not go out until morning…

It was morning enough, I reasoned. I could go down to the kitchen to grab food, and then be back up in my room in a short time. No one would know. It would be fine.

Mind made up, I studied the snare I had built around my door and snorted. That wouldn’t stop anyone of a fae’s caliber; it had just been built to give myself something to do. A proper snare for a fae would likely have to be built differently. I disassembled it deftly, setting the materials aside and fleeing to the kitchen.

I had stuffed a half loaf of bread into my mouth and had apples and a cookie cradled in my arms as I darted back out of the kitchen, intent on speeding back to my room to eat the goods. The bread was still soft, and the cookie was from earlier today, and I was looking forward to it as I had a lemon tart instead when eating.

My plans were cut short when something slammed into me, pinning me against the wall. I mourned the loss of my food when the cookie and most of the apples tumbled to the floor, probably bruising beyond reasonable enjoyment as they tumbled down the stairs. I looked up, unimpressed, to be met with the sight of Tamlin, golden hair a mess and crowned with laurels, moonlight from the open window shining across his face.

I used a now free hand to grab the bread from my mouth, eying the way his arms tried to cage me in. I’d be able to run for it if I ducked under one. 

“Going somewhere?” Tamlin’s voice echoed with remnants of whatever power had taken him, eyes glowing a feverish gold instead of green. The Tamlin I had started to know was gone. I waved the bread in front of his face.

“I was hungry. Can I go back to my room now? You don’t want to do something you’ll regret,” I commented idly, remembering Lucien’s comment from earlier. What exactly did he mean by that? Whatever it was, it gave Tamlin pause, and he looked confused, if not slightly guilty.

It was enough for his overbearing presence to suddenly disappear, pulled back. I watched long enough to see Lucien’s familiar head of red curls and his arms wrapped around Tamlin’s waist. I, however, didn’t stay long enough to find out what exactly the fox-masked fae was doing. I bolted up the stairs, not stopping until I slammed the lock shut on my door and leaned against it with a gasp. 

I got the feeling I had just narrowly escaped from something, though I wasn’t sure what.

**Author's Note:**

> comment, kudos, etc :) comments r very welcome though


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